Marantz Keeps the CD Drive: MCR 60n Adds HDMI eARC, MM Phono and 65W a Channel

Marantz has announced the MCR 60n, a compact all-in-one system that keeps a front-loading CD mechanism in the chassis at a moment when the rest of the market has been quietly letting disc drives go. Announced on 7 September 2026, it goes on sale on 15 September 2026 through authorised Marantz retailers and Marantz.com, priced at $1,000 in the US. A second version, the MCR 60n DAB, adds DAB radio for European markets and is listed at about $1,060 (£800) in the UK, about $1,010 (€900) in Europe and A$1,700 in Australia.

A disc drive, in 2026, at this price

The CD slot is the detail worth pausing on. In August, Naim removed the CD mechanism from the Uniti Star because the mechanism was no longer available to it — a supply problem rather than a philosophical one, but the effect on the buyer is the same. The MCR 60n also lands roughly a week after Onkyo's $399 Creator GX-AiO all-in-ones, which include HDMI ARC and a phono input but no optical disc transport at all.

Against that background, a thousand-dollar box that will still play a physical disc without an external transport is a genuinely uncommon proposition, and it is the single clearest reason the MCR 60n stands apart from the rest of this month's launches. Marantz, for its part, calls the unit "the most capable compact music system Marantz has ever created" — a manufacturer claim, not a measured one, and nobody outside the company has heard it yet.

Four channels in a two-channel box

The amplifier is rated at 65 watts per channel into 4 ohms, and Marantz says a new power supply delivers greater current capability and amplifier headroom than previous models. What makes the section unusual is that it is a four-channel design rather than a stereo one, and it can be configured three ways:

• Bi-amping a single pair of loudspeakers that supports it
• Parallel Bridge-Tied Load (BTL), combining channels
• Two independent speaker outputs, which Marantz describes as either optimising for two different pairs of loudspeakers or driving two separate listening zones

That flexibility is not something you usually find in a compact system at this size. Whether any one of those modes suits a given room is a question for listening rather than a spec sheet, but the fact that the choice exists inside a unit this small is notable in itself.

There is also a configurable subwoofer output with an adjustable crossover, which gives the system a route to low-end reinforcement without stepping up to separates.

Streaming, TV and vinyl on the same chassis

Streaming runs on Marantz's HEOS platform, which handles PCM up to 384kHz/32-bit and DSD up to 11.2MHz. The MCR 60n is AirPlay 2 compatible and Roon compatible, and Spotify, TIDAL and Qobuz Connect are all named among the supported services.

On the television side, there is HDMI eARC with HDMI-CEC volume control, so the TV remote can drive the system's volume. Decoding over that connection covers Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus. This is a stereo music system with a TV input, not a surround processor, and the decoding list reflects that.

For turntables, there is a moving-magnet phono stage built in — no separate preamp needed for an MM cartridge. Beyond that, connectivity runs to Ethernet, a USB input, an optical digital input, and Bluetooth in both receive and transmit modes, the latter useful for sending audio out to wireless headphones or a speaker. DAB radio appears only on the European MCR 60n DAB variant; the global MCR 60n does not carry it.

Dirac Live is an extra

Dirac Live Room Correction is supported, but as an optional paid upgrade rather than something included in the box. Marantz has not published a price for that upgrade, so anyone budgeting for room correction should treat it as an unknown additional cost for now rather than a rolled-in feature.

Finishes and availability

Matte Black is offered in all markets. Marantz Champagne Gold is available everywhere except North America, which is worth knowing if the classic Marantz two-tone look is part of the appeal for you.

To restate the pricing precisely, because the two variants are not interchangeable: the MCR 60n is $1,000 in the US, and the MCR 60n DAB is about $1,060 in the UK, about $1,010 in Europe and A$1,700 in Australia. Both go on sale on 15 September 2026.

What we still don't know

Coverage so far describes the MCR 60n as a new generation of Marantz compact system without naming any model it replaces, and no source has published dimensions, weight or a DAC specification. No one has reviewed it, so there is nothing to say yet about how it actually sounds, how the four-channel modes behave with real loudspeakers, or how the CD mechanism performs in use.

What is clear is the shape of the thing: a single small box with a disc drive, a network streamer, a phono input, a TV connection and enough amplifier configurability to be pressed into service in more than one arrangement. In a month where the industry news has mostly been about features leaving products, that combination is at least a change of direction worth reporting.

Further reading: StereoNET, ecoustics, HiFi Pig and Essential Install.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Marantz MCR 60n cost and when does it go on sale?

The Marantz MCR 60n goes on sale on 15 September 2026 from authorised Marantz retailers and Marantz.com. The global MCR 60n is priced at $1,000 in the US. The European MCR 60n DAB variant is listed at about $1,060 in the UK, about $1,010 in Europe and A$1,700 in Australia.

How much power does the Marantz MCR 60n produce?

The Marantz MCR 60n is rated at 65 watts per channel into 4 ohms. Marantz says a new power supply provides greater current capability and amplifier headroom than previous models. The amplifier section is a four-channel design rather than a conventional stereo one, and no 8-ohm rating has been published.

What can the MCR 60n's four-channel amplifier be configured to do?

The Marantz MCR 60n's four-channel amplifier section can be configured for bi-amping a single pair of loudspeakers, for Parallel Bridge-Tied Load (BTL) operation, or as two independent speaker outputs. Marantz describes that dual-output mode as either optimising for two different loudspeakers or driving two separate listening zones.

Does the Marantz MCR 60n include Dirac Live room correction?

No. Dirac Live Room Correction is supported on the Marantz MCR 60n but offered as an optional paid upgrade rather than included in the box. Marantz has not published a price for the upgrade, so the cost of adding room correction is currently unstated.

What is the difference between the MCR 60n and the MCR 60n DAB?

The Marantz MCR 60n DAB is the European-market version and adds DAB radio, which the global MCR 60n does not carry. Pricing differs by variant: $1,000 for the MCR 60n in the US, and about $1,060, about $1,010 or A$1,700 for the MCR 60n DAB in the UK, Europe and Australia respectively.

What inputs and streaming services does the Marantz MCR 60n support?

The Marantz MCR 60n has a front-loading CD mechanism, a moving-magnet phono input, HDMI eARC with HDMI-CEC volume control, Ethernet, USB, optical digital and two-way Bluetooth. HEOS streaming handles PCM to 384kHz/32-bit and DSD to 11.2MHz, with AirPlay 2, Roon, Spotify, TIDAL and Qobuz Connect.

Prices are shown in US dollars, converted at the European Central Bank reference rate of 2026-10-09; where a price was announced in another currency, the original is given in brackets at first mention.

This article was written by an AI system from Into The HiFi AI Desk, generated from the following sources, with no human editing pass before publication: StereoNET — Marantz MCR 60n is Most Capable Compact All-in-One Yet, ecoustics — Marantz's MCR 60n Is a $1,000 All-in-One Hi-Fi System With CD, HEOS, Phono and Dirac Live, AVForums — Marantz announces MCR 60n all-in-one Hi-Fi system, HiFi Pig — Marantz MCR 60n Compact All-In-One HiFi System, Essential Install — Marantz Launches Compact MCR 60n.